Inflatable garment holder and drying device



May 18, 1965 E. G. SMITH INFLATABLE GARMENT HOLDER AND DRYING DEVICE Filed March 6, 1964 INVENTOR. 5/. 55/065 6. SM/Tfl,

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United States Patent 3,184,127 HWFLATABLE GARE/KENT HGLDER AND DRYING DEVICE Elbridge G. Smith, 2324- W. Fort St, Detroit, Mich. Filed Mar. 6, 1964-, Ser. No. 349,312 3 Claims. ((11. 223-67) This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in inflatable devices on which shirts, waists, dresses, sweaters and other related and similar garments may be hung and dried after having been washed or cleaned, and the device has been specifically designed to meet certain problems, several of which are briefly set forth below.

It is a well-known fact that a relatively large percentage of persons gainfully employed have waking hours at time during which laundries and cleaning establishments are normally closed, and vice versa. Thus, persons so employed must necessarily sacrifice much needed time for sleeping or resting in order to avail themselves of the services for these establishments.

Again, consider the case of a traveler who may have to cover long distances without having made available to him the services of a laundry or cleaning establishment, or who has limited time between engagements to effect a change of wearing apparel. Of course, it might be said, in such cases, that suthcient clothing could be packed to anticipate the needs of the traveler, but this involves other factors which bear heavily on the traveler and constitutes an onus which should be alleviated. To pack sullicient clothes in order to anticipate all of the contingencies the traveler might expect to meet, he would have to take many pieces of baggage with the attendant disadvantages thereof. This would, necessarily, give rise to increased shipping charges to weight overages and further, through the increase of the number of pieces of luggage to the point of excess, the possibility of the loss of one or more pieces is increased.

To meet some of these situations some clothing manufiacturers widely advertise articles of clothing which they allege may be hung up to dry after washing, and which will dry without ironing and without wrinkling or shrinking. Experience has proven that such self-laudatory expressions are, for the most part, somewhat exaggerated.

Therefore, another of the primary objects of this invention is to provide means of the type to which reference has been made above which will overcome the disadvantages of the prior art practices noted supra, and other attendant inherent disadvantages which normally accrue when following the teachings of the prior art.

To achieve the desired objectives of this invention, it is proposed, as a further object thereof, to provide an inflatable hanger on which garments are hung to be dried after laundering or cleaning, the hanger having the general configuration of the garment and being adaptable for use with such garments, wherein the size may vary within practical limits.

Another object of this invention is to provide an inflatable garment hanger and drying device which, when in its collapsed or deflate-d state, may be folded and compressed to occupy but a small volume of space in the luggage in which it is packed, the device being relatively light in weight.

A further and still primary object of this invention is ice to provide an inflatable hanger on which articles of clothing may be hung to dry substantially wrinkle-tree.

It is still another object of this invention to provide an inflatable hanger on which articles of clothing may be hung to dry substantially wrinkle-free, the hanger having a general configuration approximating the contour of that portion of the human anatomy on which the garment is normally worn.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an inflatable garment hanger, holding and drying device, the device being formed of an air-impervious material and which, after the garment has been laundered or cleaned, may be inserted Within the garment and inflated to simulate that portion of the human body upon which the garment is normally worn.

A still further object of this invention is to provide an inflatable garment-holding and drying device, the device being formed of air-impervious material preferably comprising a relatively thin sheet of rubber, and having component parts thereof which will inflate evenly to assume the desired simulated contours of a human body.

This invention contemplates, as a still further object thereof, the provision of an inflatable garment-holding and drying device which is non-complex in construction and assembly, inexpensive to manufacture and maintain, and which is durable in use.

Other and further objects and advantages of the instant invention will become more evident from a consideration of the following specification when read in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of an inflatable garment-holding device having a substantially mannequin configuration and constructed in accordance with this invention, the garment-holding device being shown in its operative position with a shirt to be dried mounted thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a longitudinal medial, cross-sectional view, FIGURE 2 being taken substantially on the plane of line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged detail, fragmentary, cross sectional view, FIGURE 3 being taken substantially on the vertical plane of line 3-3 of FIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlarged, detail crosssectional view showing the details of the connector means for connecting the inflatable garment-holding device with a source of gas under pressure;

FIGURE 5 illustrates a second embodiment of this invention, FIGURE 5 illustrating a flexible mesh band for surrounding the lower end of the garment to be dried;

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of the mesh device shown in FIGURE 5, this view being partly broken away to show the mesh base of the band; and

FIGURE 7 is a side elevational view of a connector hook.

Referring now more specifically to the drawing, reference numeral lil designates, in general, an inflatable garment holder for drying shirts, sweaters and other similar articles, the device being constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention. As is seen in FIGURES l to 4, inclusive, the inflatable garment-holding device it is formed of a flexible air or gas-impervious material such as, for example, rubber and, when inflated, ex-

snssnzr pands to form a front panel 12, a back panel 14, a bottom wall 16, and two sidewalls 18, 29. The bottom wall 16 is formed with a transversely-extending passage 22 which is aligned with a second passage 24 and is in open communication therewith. As is seen in FIGURE 4, the passage 24 extends axially of an elongated plug 26 having an end thereof fixedly secured to the bottom wall 16, the other end of the plug 26 being provided with a one-way check valve 28 which is adapted for connection with a source of air under pressure, such as, for example, a small bicycle hand-operated air pump, not shown.

The upper ends of the panels 12, 14 and side panels 18, 29 merge to form a substantially cylindrical neck 30 closed at its upper end by a top wall 3 2 From the foregoing description it will be understood that the device it when inflated in the manner described,

tends to simulate the torso of a human being.

Reference numeral 34 designates a pair of substantially frusto-conical sleeves having sealing end walls 38 disposed substantially in the plane of the frustum, and the base portions of the sleeves 34 are in'open communication through openings 49 with the interior of the hollow cavity 42 formed by the front and back panels 12, 14, respectively, the sidewalls 18, 2%, the bottom Wall 16, the neck portion 30 and the top wall 32. As is seen in FIGURE 2, the openings 40 are formed in the sidewalls 13, 20, only one opening 40* being illustrated.

As is seen in FIGURES 1 and 2, conventional hook means 44 has one of its ends sealed within the top wall 32, the other end thereof being open for insertion over a conventional supporting rod or clothesline in the usual manner.

Centrally of the front panel 12, and at the neck and bottom portions thereof is riveted or vulcanized one of the ends of a flexible strap 48 which connects through the usual and conventional slide connector or buckle 59 (in an adjustable manner with one of the ends 52 of a second flexible strap) the other end thereof being fixedly connected as at 54 with one of the ends of an arm 56 of a conventional clothespin so having a second arm 60. The arms 56, 6t) terminate at a pair of their respective adjacent ends in conventional jaws 62, 6% which are spring-biased as at 66 for movement toward one another. Similar clothespin connectors 58 are connected to the sidewalls 18, 2t and to the back panel 14 adjacent the lower ends thereof.

As is seen in FIGURE 1 of the drawing, a washed or cleaned shirt 68 is inserted over the inflatable garment holder with the center strip 76 being buttoned across the front panel 12 as at '72 with the frusto-conical sleeves 34 extending through the sleeves 74 of the shirt 68. To facilitate the installation of the shirt 68 on the inflatable garment holder it), it is preferable that the cavity 42 and its associated sleeves 34 be semi-inflated in order to facilitate the mounting on the device 1%. Thereafter, the cavity 42 and the sleeves 34 may be inflated to the desired air pressure to enable the shirt or other gar ment 68 to obtain the desired contours.

It will be understood, of course, that before the completed inflation takes place, the clothespins 58 are connected to the center strip 7% adjacent the upper collar section 76 as well as at the lower end of the center strip 79, as shown in FIGURE 1, and that the clothespins 58 connected adjacent the outer ends of the frusto-conical sleeves 34 are also engaged with the outer ends '73 of the sleeves 74. The clothespins 58 located on the sidewalls 18, 2t engage, of course, with the side seams of the shirt adjacent the lower ends thereof or adjacent portions of a sweater, waist, or other similar garment. Similar means 58 are provided to grasp the rear portion of the garment.

In FIGURES 5, 6 and 7 a modified form of this invention is illustrated. Prior to the inflation of the device 10 and in this embodiment of the invention the lower end of the shirt 68 is surrounded or encased by a' substantially frusto-conical sheath of open web-like elastic material 80, having an open web base 81, and in this instance, a clothes hook or connector 58' has an arm 56' which terminates in a substantially rigid hook 82 selectively engageable in any portion of the sheath 89. When the sheath 8% is moved into surrounding position relative to the lower end of the garment 68, the web base 81 abuts against the bottom wall 16. The base 81, of course, serves to prevent the sheath 3t from sliding upwardly when the clothes hook or connector 58' and its associated elements are placed under conditions of tension. It is understood, of course, that the jaws 62', 64' of the hook 58 connect with the shirt 68 at the lower portions thereof in the manner described above, and that the hooks or connectors 58 described above are not employed in this embodiment of the invention.

After having effected the complete inflation of the de vice iii, the garment may be softly patted thereover, making certain that no wrinkles appear either through the torso portion of the garment, the sleeves or the neck. This will insure that the garment will dry on the mannequin in a substantially wrinkle-free condition.

After the garment has dried, the one-way check valve 28 is opened to permit the collapsing of the device 10, after which the garment is removed therefrom and the device is re-folded for compact storage within a given piece of luggage.

Having illustrated and described two embodiments of this invention, in detail, it will be understood that the same are offered merely by way of example, and that this invention is to be limited only by the scope of the ap pended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An inflatable garment holding device for supporting a garment to be dried thereon, said garment-holding device comprising a torso section including normally spaced apart front and rear panels and a pair of opposed side panels, a bottom wall extending across the lower edges .ofsaid panels and walls, said panels and walls forming a substantially hollow cavity therebetween, said front and back panels adjacent those ends thereof remotely-disposed from said bottom wall terminating in a substantially hollow cylindrical collar having a closed outer end, a pair of substantially frusto-conical sleeves each having, respectively, open communication with one of said sidewalls, the other end of said sleeves being sealed, means on said sleeves releasably engaging said sleeves of said garment, a substantially frusto-conical elastic mesh device surrounding the base of said torso portion of said device and overlying the lower end of the garment mounted thereover, and means releasably engaging said garment and said mesh device at spaced intervals around the periphery thereof.

2. An inflatable garment-holding device for supporting a garment to be dried thereon, said garment-holding device comprising a torso section including normally spaced-apart front and rear panels, a pair of opposed side panels, a bottom wall extending across the lower edges of said panels and walls, said panels and walls forming'a substantially hollow cavity therebetween, said front and back panels adjacent those ends thereof remotely-disposed from a pair of substantially frusto-conical sleeves each having, respectively, open communication with one of said sidewalls, said bottom wall terminating in asubstantially hollow cylindrical collar having a closed outer end, said device having means included therein for inflating said front and back panels, said sidewalls and said sleeves, said garment-holding device being adapted to receive a garment in the nature of a shirt thereover, a substantially elastic mesh device of frustoconical configuration engaging the lower ends of said garment and holding the same securely again said device, and means engageable with said mesh device and 5 6 with said garment to hold said garment tightly against References Cited by the Examiner said device during the drying period.

3. An inflatable garment-holding device for supporting UNITED STATES PATENTS a garment to be dried thereon as defined in claim 2, 2,417,838 3/ 47 Pans 22367 wherein said mesh device is provided with an open web 5 2,921,727 1/ 60 LOPeX 3- 57 base which extends between and is connected to the lower end thereof, said open web base being adapted to en- FOREIGN PATENTS gage against said bottom wall and to resist the upward 1,085,130 7/60 Germany.

shifting of said flexible mesh device when the latter is placed under tension. JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN INFLATABLE GARMENT-HOLDING DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING A GARMENT TO BE DRIED THEREON, SAID GARMENT-HOLDING DEVICE COMPRISING A TORSO SECTION INCLUDING NORMALLY SPACED APART FRONT AND REAR PANELS AND A PAIR OF OPPOSED SIDE PANELS, A BOTTOM WALL EXTENDING ACROSS THE LOWER EDGES OF SAID PANELS AND WALLS, SAID PANELS AND WALLS FORMING A SUBSTANTIALLY HOLLOW CAVITY THEREBETWEEN, SAID FRONT AND BACK PANELS ADJACENT THOSE ENDS THEREOF REMOTELY-DISPOSED FROM SAID BOTTOM WALL TERMINATING IN A SUBSTANTIALLY HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL COLLAR HAVING A CLOSED OUTER END, A PAIR OF SUBSTANTIALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL SLEEVES EACH HAVING, RESPECTIVELY, OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH ONE OF SAID SIDEWALLS, THE OTHER END OF SAID SLEEVES BEING SEALED, MEANS ON SAID SLEEVES RELEASABLY ENGAGING SAID SLEEVES OF SAID GARMENT, A SUBSTANTIALLY FRUSTO-CONICAL ELASTIC MESH DEVICE SURROUNDING THE BASE OF SAID TORSO PORTION OF SAID DEVICE AND OVERLYING THE LOWER END OF THE GARMENT MOUNTED THEREOVER, AND MEANS RELEASABLY ENGAGING SAID GARMENT AND SAID MESH DEVICE AT SPACED INTERVALS AROUND THE PERIPHERY THEREOF. 